World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is a yearly environmental awareness day, not a public holiday, initiated by the United Nations. Since it was established in 1974, participants from over 100 countries have raised awareness on environmental concerns — ranging from pollution and global warming to sustainable food production and protection of wildlife.

Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. This can be done through a variety of ways: concerts, conventions, parades, tree planting activities, and lectures, and more!

The theme for 2019, “Beat Air Pollution,” is a call to action call to combat this global crisis. Chosen by this year’s host, China, this year’s topic invites us all to consider how we can change our everyday lives to reduce the amount of air pollution we produce, and thwart its contribution to global warming and its effects on our own health.